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(Polk County, IA) -- A Polk County program to increase the number of dialogues between a defendant and a community volunteer is continuing to grow.
Since the program started in October of 2023, it has held over 2,000 Community Restorative Dialogues, including more than 1,300 this year. Often times, defendants are ordered by a judge to meet with the victim of their crime to discuss the impact and the aftermath of the offense, however, victims often decline to participate. Polk County Attorney Kimberley Gram explains the purpose of the Community Restorative Dialogues program:
"The community restorative dialogues are for when a victim doesn't want to participate in a dialogue or when there really is not a named individual victim. We have have about 40 volunteers from our community so they can have these conversations with the defendant."
So far, the community members who have volunteered to participate in these dialogues come from all walks of life, including retirees, students, pastors, teachers, lawyers, and more. The dialogues are conducted virtually and include the defendant, a community volunteer, and a trained mediator.
Those interested in volunteering can find more information at the Polk County Attorney's Office website, by calling the office at 515-286-3110, or by emailing ctyatty@polkcountyiowa.gov.
